1. Question #1--Why do supposed Bible-believing churches hate to hear real, expository, Biblical preaching?
2. Question #2--Why do people who really can't preach the Bible do so well in ministry, while many serious Bible preachers end up doing something else?
3. Question #3--Is part of the problem that we are in a day like the days of Jermiah and Isaiah, who were basically told to preach the Truth and be prepared to be ignored?
4. Question #4--What examples can you cite from the Bible, of Godly men who were ignored, persecuted, or tossed on the shelf?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Wednesday Notes
The False Doctrine of Perfectionism
1 John 1:8-10
Introductory Thoughts
· The problem of balance in this doctrinal area
· Extreme Views
Ø First Extreme View: No holiness, or, “Holiness, what is that?” Many in the churches believe that a consistent Christian lifestyle is optional. They believe in conduct-neutral Christianity.
Ø Second extreme view—Perfection (much rarer today)
· The True Doctrine—God is Light è 1 John 1:5
· The First False Doctrine we looked at—Antinomianism è1:6-7. Antinomianism is against all law, is against any ethical requirement for the Christian. It teaches that the evidence of a person’s life is irrelevant.
· The True Alternative Doctrine—1:7
· Now we deal with the false doctrine of perfectionism.
1. First Form of Perfectionism—claiming to have no tendency to sin è John 1:8 “… If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…
a. The Language
(1) In the Greek, this is what is called a Subjunctive sentence, a third class condition—it is an “if, then” statement.
(2) “If we up and say…”, this is the Greek aorist tense—if we have up and said at any single point in time...
(3) “that we do not have sin” (present tense).
(4) What he is saying is: “If we, at any time, get up and say [the implication is to teach or preach] that we live continually in such a way that we have no principle of sin in us....”
(5) Then...We are leading ourselves astray, and The Truth is not in us
b. Extreme views in this area historically
(1) Gnostics—the first cult
(a) Some denied that believers had any principle if sin, therefore, no matter what they did, it could not be considered sin—they actually used this kind of perfectionism as an excuse to sin!
(b) Others taught that a spiritual believer had no sin in their life, so they could live to perfection
(2) Other perfectionists since then have taught that by an act of sanctifying grace, the tendency to sin can be taken away from us in this life.
c. In contrast to the perfectionist view is the The Carnal Christian Theory, which says that one can live totally in sin, fully surrendered to it, and still be considered a Christian
d. All of these views are heresy—they are out of balance.
e. The balanced Biblical view is: when we become Christians, several things happen and/or begin to happen.....
(1) We receive a new nature—2 Cor 5:17
(2) The born again Christian will not practice sin as a style of life.
1 John 2:29 "If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him."
1 John 3:9 "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."
(3) The old man can be reckoned as dead, Sin no longer has the power to dominate us—Rom 6:1-15. Therefore, we should be growing in grace—2 Pet 3:18, progressing in holiness.
(4) This progression in holiness is not optional, it is the normal Christian life. To say that a progression in holiness is OPTIONAL is to state a heresy.
(5) Having said that, because we are still in flesh, we still must struggle against sin, even as we grow in Grace and holiness.
(6) By flesh, we don’t mean the body only, but the mind and soul, our total humanness.
(7) Systematic theologians like to draw very distinct lines on this question, but the Bible does not tell us where our humanity begins and ends and where the new man is.
(8) Our mind and body together remember the pleasures and ways of sin, and this must be put to death daily.
(9) As long as we live with our humanness (which is as long as we are alive) we are in danger of sinning, and must constantly be on our guard to fight against it, and fight against it we must and will
f. But to say that we have no sin, that we are beyond sin, is a heresy
(1) If a person believes in this kind of perfectionism, this is self deception èThis amounts to NO TRUTH
g. (skip verse 9 monentarily, we will come back to it)
2. The Second form of perfectionism—claiming to be sinless in practice è 1 John 1:10 “…If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us…”
a. Language
(1) “If”—again, a third class condition sentence
(2) We say—aorist—if we at any time have said
(3) We have not sinned—perfect tense—have not sinned throughout the past.
(4) “...we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us....” This is all in the present tense—if we say that we have not been sinners in practice, we are continually making Him a liar and His word is continually not in us.
b. Perfectionists say that a second work of Grace can “fully sanctify” a person so that they are totally above sin, and they will claim that they live above sin. This is a false doctrine.
(1) Sinless perfection is our goal—but we will never reach that level of holiness in this life
(2) To claim perfection in our lives makes God a liar! Rom 3:9-12, 23, Eph 2:1-3
3. The Remedy for both heresies in chapter 1—the balanced Christian life—1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
a. Language—
(1) Again, a subjunctive sentence, conditional
(2) “...If we confess...” is present tense—if we go on confessing...
(3) The word for confess, ¿ìïëïã§ìåí , means to agree totally with, and to identify with.
(4) When we truly confess, we are saying something about us, and we are saying something about Him—
(a) Rom 10:9-10—when we confess Christ, we confess His Lordship
(b) When we confess that He is our Savior, we are confessing that we need a Savior, that we are sinners.
(5) And this is in the present tense! Our confession is perpetual and constant—we always say to our Father, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
b. So, the remedy for the first type of perfectionism-- perpetual repentance. If we are continually confessing to Him, we will not get the idea that we are perfect!
c. “...He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins...”
(1) Language—“...is...” è present tense—continual. Jesus is always faithful and always just.
(2) If we confess Him and His Lordship in our lives èHe is faithful and just to forgive us...What does that mean?
(a) He is faithful
(b) He is just—because the price of redemption has been paid, and because of the propitiation through faith in His blood, God is just and righteous to forgive us—See Romans 3:25-31
(c) To forgive—aorist—we confess continually, the the forgiveness of sins is something that takes place once. When He is our Father, the forgiveness of sins has happened, and God will no longer impute sin to our account—Rom 4:6-8. The sins that a believer commits are sins, but the legal status of the believer is that sins are now a family matter between Father and Son—you can lose fellowship, but never relationship.
d. “...And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...”—“...cleanse...” is aorist, so this is again talking about the great transaction that occurred at our salvation.
(1) So, here is a strange thing:
(a) Our confession is continual
(b) Our forgiveness from sin is granted once.
(c) But back in 1:7, the cleansing was continual—
(d) the point is that we are cleansed once from the guilt of sin, then we are cleansed continually from the pollution of sin in our lives, and one day we will be cleansed from the very presence of sin.
1 John 1:8-10
Introductory Thoughts
· The problem of balance in this doctrinal area
· Extreme Views
Ø First Extreme View: No holiness, or, “Holiness, what is that?” Many in the churches believe that a consistent Christian lifestyle is optional. They believe in conduct-neutral Christianity.
Ø Second extreme view—Perfection (much rarer today)
· The True Doctrine—God is Light è 1 John 1:5
· The First False Doctrine we looked at—Antinomianism è1:6-7. Antinomianism is against all law, is against any ethical requirement for the Christian. It teaches that the evidence of a person’s life is irrelevant.
· The True Alternative Doctrine—1:7
· Now we deal with the false doctrine of perfectionism.
1. First Form of Perfectionism—claiming to have no tendency to sin è John 1:8 “… If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us…
a. The Language
(1) In the Greek, this is what is called a Subjunctive sentence, a third class condition—it is an “if, then” statement.
(2) “If we up and say…”, this is the Greek aorist tense—if we have up and said at any single point in time...
(3) “that we do not have sin” (present tense).
(4) What he is saying is: “If we, at any time, get up and say [the implication is to teach or preach] that we live continually in such a way that we have no principle of sin in us....”
(5) Then...We are leading ourselves astray, and The Truth is not in us
b. Extreme views in this area historically
(1) Gnostics—the first cult
(a) Some denied that believers had any principle if sin, therefore, no matter what they did, it could not be considered sin—they actually used this kind of perfectionism as an excuse to sin!
(b) Others taught that a spiritual believer had no sin in their life, so they could live to perfection
(2) Other perfectionists since then have taught that by an act of sanctifying grace, the tendency to sin can be taken away from us in this life.
c. In contrast to the perfectionist view is the The Carnal Christian Theory, which says that one can live totally in sin, fully surrendered to it, and still be considered a Christian
d. All of these views are heresy—they are out of balance.
e. The balanced Biblical view is: when we become Christians, several things happen and/or begin to happen.....
(1) We receive a new nature—2 Cor 5:17
(2) The born again Christian will not practice sin as a style of life.
1 John 2:29 "If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him."
1 John 3:9 "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."
(3) The old man can be reckoned as dead, Sin no longer has the power to dominate us—Rom 6:1-15. Therefore, we should be growing in grace—2 Pet 3:18, progressing in holiness.
(4) This progression in holiness is not optional, it is the normal Christian life. To say that a progression in holiness is OPTIONAL is to state a heresy.
(5) Having said that, because we are still in flesh, we still must struggle against sin, even as we grow in Grace and holiness.
(6) By flesh, we don’t mean the body only, but the mind and soul, our total humanness.
(7) Systematic theologians like to draw very distinct lines on this question, but the Bible does not tell us where our humanity begins and ends and where the new man is.
(8) Our mind and body together remember the pleasures and ways of sin, and this must be put to death daily.
(9) As long as we live with our humanness (which is as long as we are alive) we are in danger of sinning, and must constantly be on our guard to fight against it, and fight against it we must and will
f. But to say that we have no sin, that we are beyond sin, is a heresy
(1) If a person believes in this kind of perfectionism, this is self deception èThis amounts to NO TRUTH
g. (skip verse 9 monentarily, we will come back to it)
2. The Second form of perfectionism—claiming to be sinless in practice è 1 John 1:10 “…If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us…”
a. Language
(1) “If”—again, a third class condition sentence
(2) We say—aorist—if we at any time have said
(3) We have not sinned—perfect tense—have not sinned throughout the past.
(4) “...we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us....” This is all in the present tense—if we say that we have not been sinners in practice, we are continually making Him a liar and His word is continually not in us.
b. Perfectionists say that a second work of Grace can “fully sanctify” a person so that they are totally above sin, and they will claim that they live above sin. This is a false doctrine.
(1) Sinless perfection is our goal—but we will never reach that level of holiness in this life
(2) To claim perfection in our lives makes God a liar! Rom 3:9-12, 23, Eph 2:1-3
3. The Remedy for both heresies in chapter 1—the balanced Christian life—1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
a. Language—
(1) Again, a subjunctive sentence, conditional
(2) “...If we confess...” is present tense—if we go on confessing...
(3) The word for confess, ¿ìïëïã§ìåí , means to agree totally with, and to identify with.
(4) When we truly confess, we are saying something about us, and we are saying something about Him—
(a) Rom 10:9-10—when we confess Christ, we confess His Lordship
(b) When we confess that He is our Savior, we are confessing that we need a Savior, that we are sinners.
(5) And this is in the present tense! Our confession is perpetual and constant—we always say to our Father, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
b. So, the remedy for the first type of perfectionism-- perpetual repentance. If we are continually confessing to Him, we will not get the idea that we are perfect!
c. “...He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins...”
(1) Language—“...is...” è present tense—continual. Jesus is always faithful and always just.
(2) If we confess Him and His Lordship in our lives èHe is faithful and just to forgive us...What does that mean?
(a) He is faithful
(b) He is just—because the price of redemption has been paid, and because of the propitiation through faith in His blood, God is just and righteous to forgive us—See Romans 3:25-31
(c) To forgive—aorist—we confess continually, the the forgiveness of sins is something that takes place once. When He is our Father, the forgiveness of sins has happened, and God will no longer impute sin to our account—Rom 4:6-8. The sins that a believer commits are sins, but the legal status of the believer is that sins are now a family matter between Father and Son—you can lose fellowship, but never relationship.
d. “...And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...”—“...cleanse...” is aorist, so this is again talking about the great transaction that occurred at our salvation.
(1) So, here is a strange thing:
(a) Our confession is continual
(b) Our forgiveness from sin is granted once.
(c) But back in 1:7, the cleansing was continual—
(d) the point is that we are cleansed once from the guilt of sin, then we are cleansed continually from the pollution of sin in our lives, and one day we will be cleansed from the very presence of sin.
God Is Omniscient
The Attributes of God
God Is Omniscient
Ps 139:1-6
Introductory Thoughts
v We now come to an attribute of God which is widely known about, but which is not widely appreciated for its meaning.
v God knows everything—He is omniscient.
v Many people have the attitude that God knows what is going on, but they seem to believe that He really doesn’t care.
§ ** “Boy, if the preacher knew what I was doing…”
§ Boy, if mom and dad knew what I was doing…”
§ Oh, if my wife (or husband) knew what I was doing…”
§ Get this—GOD knows what you are doing, saying, planning, etc. God knows everything about you, and you are not fooling Him.
§ If your pastor, parents, or spouse knowing about what you are up to bothers you more than God knowing what you are up to, then you have the universe turned upside down in your mind.
§ The fact is, God knows you intimately, He knows your every move, and you cannot escape His eye of omniscience.
· After taking a brief look at the bare fact of God’s omniscience, we are going to Biblically examine the doctrine through a passage that takes us inside and makes us confront our all-knowing God face to face.
1. The Knowledge of God is Infinite—Psa 147:5 "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite."
a. Language—“infinite” means “without number.” We can put no quantity nor any limitation on God’s Knowledge.
b. He knows Himself; He knows what He is going to do— Acts 15:18 "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."
(1) The subjects of election, predestination, God’s knowledge, etc. really upset some folks.
(2) But you must understand that the Bible is definite about this—God knows what He is going to do—He is not waiting to see what will happen, and He did not look down through history to see what you would do!
(3) God is ahead of the planning curve!
(4) But you do not know what God is going to do!
(5) But you DO know what He has told you to do—you need to be about the business that God has given you to be about, and not about trying to second guess Him!
c. A human illustration—
(1) If your spouse comes up with a plan for finances, he or she might say to you, “I’ve got this handled, just trust me, you do this and that, and I will make sure my plan works out.”
(2) What will you do?
(a) You might say, “Well, if you are going to do it, just do it, and I will sit back and watch. If you have it all in hand, you just do it!”
(b) More likely, however, you are going to say, “No, I want you to tell me what your plan is; I want to know what you are going to do.”
(3) Why do you do that?
(a) You do that because you want to know before it is done.
(b) You want to have a say in your role in the plan.
(c) And you want the opportunity to put your two cents worth in.
(d) But if you trusted them completely, you might say, “OK, I trust you. I’ll do what you told me, and trust you to do what’s right.”
(4) Now, God has said to us: “I have this plan to save the lost, “Here is what I want you to do.” (The Great Commission) ; Mat 28:19-20,
(5) However, some people say, in regard to God’s clear statements: “Well, if you are going to do it, I will sit back and watch.” Or, they will say, “No, I want to know that I am going to have a say in this thing.” But, if we trust God, we will say, “OK, I’ll do what you told me, and I will trust you to do what’s right.”
d. The extent of God’s Knowledge—
(1) God knows everything that ever has been or ever will be—Dan 2:20-27
(2) He knows every act of every person, every thought of every heart. There are no secrets kept from God.
Ezek 11:5 "… Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them."
Heb 4:13 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
(3) He knows our sins—Psa 90:8 "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance."
(4) He knows every thing that could have been, and all that happens in the universe is either what He has caused, or what He has allowed. God is never taken by surprise. God, you see, is God.
2. The Basic Fact of God’s Omniscience, personally applied—Psa 139:1 "O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
a. God’s unique knowledge—Only God Really knows us.
(1) You don’t fully know yourself.
(2) I don’t fully know myself.
(3) We can’t even trust our innermost thoughts—Jer 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
(4) But God knows—10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
b. God’s Personal knowledge—Let’s get personal right off the bat—God knows you (me too). There is nothing about us He does not know.
(1) He knows your thoughts
(2) He knows your sins
(3) He knows your desires
(4) He knows your innermost heart
(5) He knows your plans and agendas
(6) You cannot hide from Him—you have no right to privacy with God.
c. God’s Total Knowledge—When we say “God knows Everything,” we are talking about ourselves too.
(1) If you are playing church today, God knows it.
(2) If you are harboring hatred and resentment against brothers and sisters, God knows it.
(3) If you are involved in sins that no Christian should tolerate in their life, God knows it.
(4) If you are, right now, planning a sin, God knows it. You just are not going to fool God.
(5) If you are planning to rebel against Him, against the leadership of this church, against your spouse, against, your parents, God knows it!
(6) If you have some little conspiracy going on, at work, in the home, at the club, at church, God knows all about it.
(a) Num 32:23 "… be sure your sin will find you out."
(b) Psa 17:3 "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; …”
(c) Jer 12:3 "But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You…”
(7) If you are a mature believer, you want God to search you in this way, you want His searchlight on your soul, you want His soul surgery to heal you of your sin.
(8) Psa 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
i (7) But if you are not a mature believer, or if you are not really saved at all, then you don’t want to be searched, you don’t want the scalpel of God’s spiritual surgery in your life, you don’t want God that close.
d. God’s Intimate Knowledge—GOD knows about everyone, but He KNOWS His people
2 Tim 2:19 "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.
John 10:3 “… he calleth his own sheep by name… 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine… 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
3. Some Details of God’s Omniscience—2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
a. YOU—(the word is “emphatic in Heb…” BKC)
b. The Most Mundane Activities are in His Sight—2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
(1) “I am observed when I quietly sit down, and marked when I resolutely rise up. My most common and casual acts, my most needful and necessary movements, are noted by thee…” (Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 259, Vol 3)
c. What is unknown and invisible is clear to God— You understand my thought afar off.
Mat 9:3-4 "And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"
Heb 4:13 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
(1) You cannot see the thoughts of another person.
(2) You really cannot see your own thoughts, though you can sometimes visualize pictures in your mind, you cannot see the thoughts.
(3) And you don’t know for sure what you are going to think next—if you knew, you would have already thought it!
(4) You may be about to think:
(a) An unclean thought
(b) A pleasant thought
(c) An alarming thought, like, “Where did that train come from?”
(d) A profound thought
(e) A stupid thought
(f) But whatever you are about to think, you don’t know it yet—as soon as you know it, you’ve already thought it.
(g) But God sees your thoughts “afar off.”
d. Whether we are awake or asleep, God knows—3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
“My path and my pallet, my running and my resting, are alike within the circle of thine observation. Thou dost surround me even as the air continually surrounds all creatures that live. I am shut up within the wall of thy being, I am encircled within the bounds of thy knowledge. Waking or sleeping, I am still observed of thee. I may leave thy path, but thou never leavest mine. I may sleep and forget thee, but thou does never slumber, nor fall into oblivion concerning thy creature.” (Spurgeon, Treasury)
(1) Comprehend—the original word can also be understood as “to winnow,” as one sifts and winnows wheat.
(2) “…He distinguishes actions; He discerns and separates the good from the bad, or the goodness of an action from the evil and imperfection of it, as in winnowing, the wheat is separated from the chaff….” (Gill’s Commentary)
(3) 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, Every step we take, every wink of shuteye we have, God is there, and He knows what is in our hearts. There is neither right of privacy nor way of privacy from Him.
e. God Knows us better than we know ourselves. And are acquainted with all my ways.
“God knows all the evil ways and works of His people; He takes notice of them, and chastises for them; and all their good works and approves and accepts of them; He knows from what principles of faith and love they spring, in what manner they are performed.” (Gill)
Rev 2:2 "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:"
Rev 2:19 "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first."
(1) First, God knows the motives and intents
(2) He knows if we are working from a law principle or a love principle.
(3) He knows what is easy, what is hard, what is pleasant, and what must merely be endured.
f. God knows the words we say. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
(1) HE knows our words before we say them. Isa 65:24 "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."
(2) Luke 19:31 "And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him." Luke 19:33 "And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?"
(3) And He knows the motivation for our words—Luke 11:15-17 "But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth."
4. The Blessed Effect of God’s Omniscience—5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
a. God’s Protection—The Holy Hedge—“…5 You have hedged me behind and before…”
(1) Behind—God “watches our back…”
(2) Before—But God watches our front as well, He takes the point position.
(3) God has us hedged up all around.
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land…”
b. God’s hand on your life—When?
(1) Jeremiah—Jer 1:5 ""Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.""
(2) Paul
Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel."
Gal 1:13-15 "For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace,"
(3) Lydia—God moved his apostles out of their way and ignored entire regions of the world in order to take the word to Lydia and God opened her heart.
5. The Mystery of God’s Omniscience—6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it."
Job 42:3 "You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."
Psa 40:5 "Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered."
Psa 131:1 "LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me."
a. In the original, the word “wonderful” is emphatic, it is an exclamation which starts the sentence: “WONDERFUL! This knowledge is…”
b. God wants us to know that He knows, or He would not have told us.
c. But God want us to know that we are not going to fully understand this, either.
d. If you react to this doctrine of scripture with emotional or mental distress, if this bothers you, join the club.
(1) It bothered David (the author of this psalm) at first!
(2) David could not comprehend it!
(3) It is like he is saying, “God, this makes my head hurt!”
(4) It’s like the college student that was in his first higher math class. Halfway through a particularly tough lecture, he raised his hand and asked the professor, “Sir, may I be excused, my brain is full.”)
(5) David says, “I can’t handle this, God, it is too far above me to comprehend this!”
e. This is beyond almost any other incomprehensible thing. God’s omniscience? I have no clue at all how—it is beyond me to understand how He knows everything—Like David, this is too marvelous for words.
f. However, there is at least one thing more incomprehensible.
(1) He knows me, and has always known me.
(2) He knows my sin, my weakness, my feet of clay
(3) He knows every wicked thought and intent I’ve ever had.
(4) He knew me before there was anything to know.
(5) But He loved me, chose me, died for me, called me, saved me, and is keeping me—I cannot understand that kind of God—but I can love Him and praise Him for it. Rom 5:6-9 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…”
God Is Omniscient
Ps 139:1-6
Introductory Thoughts
v We now come to an attribute of God which is widely known about, but which is not widely appreciated for its meaning.
v God knows everything—He is omniscient.
v Many people have the attitude that God knows what is going on, but they seem to believe that He really doesn’t care.
§ ** “Boy, if the preacher knew what I was doing…”
§ Boy, if mom and dad knew what I was doing…”
§ Oh, if my wife (or husband) knew what I was doing…”
§ Get this—GOD knows what you are doing, saying, planning, etc. God knows everything about you, and you are not fooling Him.
§ If your pastor, parents, or spouse knowing about what you are up to bothers you more than God knowing what you are up to, then you have the universe turned upside down in your mind.
§ The fact is, God knows you intimately, He knows your every move, and you cannot escape His eye of omniscience.
· After taking a brief look at the bare fact of God’s omniscience, we are going to Biblically examine the doctrine through a passage that takes us inside and makes us confront our all-knowing God face to face.
1. The Knowledge of God is Infinite—Psa 147:5 "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite."
a. Language—“infinite” means “without number.” We can put no quantity nor any limitation on God’s Knowledge.
b. He knows Himself; He knows what He is going to do— Acts 15:18 "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."
(1) The subjects of election, predestination, God’s knowledge, etc. really upset some folks.
(2) But you must understand that the Bible is definite about this—God knows what He is going to do—He is not waiting to see what will happen, and He did not look down through history to see what you would do!
(3) God is ahead of the planning curve!
(4) But you do not know what God is going to do!
(5) But you DO know what He has told you to do—you need to be about the business that God has given you to be about, and not about trying to second guess Him!
c. A human illustration—
(1) If your spouse comes up with a plan for finances, he or she might say to you, “I’ve got this handled, just trust me, you do this and that, and I will make sure my plan works out.”
(2) What will you do?
(a) You might say, “Well, if you are going to do it, just do it, and I will sit back and watch. If you have it all in hand, you just do it!”
(b) More likely, however, you are going to say, “No, I want you to tell me what your plan is; I want to know what you are going to do.”
(3) Why do you do that?
(a) You do that because you want to know before it is done.
(b) You want to have a say in your role in the plan.
(c) And you want the opportunity to put your two cents worth in.
(d) But if you trusted them completely, you might say, “OK, I trust you. I’ll do what you told me, and trust you to do what’s right.”
(4) Now, God has said to us: “I have this plan to save the lost, “Here is what I want you to do.” (The Great Commission) ; Mat 28:19-20,
(5) However, some people say, in regard to God’s clear statements: “Well, if you are going to do it, I will sit back and watch.” Or, they will say, “No, I want to know that I am going to have a say in this thing.” But, if we trust God, we will say, “OK, I’ll do what you told me, and I will trust you to do what’s right.”
d. The extent of God’s Knowledge—
(1) God knows everything that ever has been or ever will be—Dan 2:20-27
(2) He knows every act of every person, every thought of every heart. There are no secrets kept from God.
Ezek 11:5 "… Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them."
Heb 4:13 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
(3) He knows our sins—Psa 90:8 "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance."
(4) He knows every thing that could have been, and all that happens in the universe is either what He has caused, or what He has allowed. God is never taken by surprise. God, you see, is God.
2. The Basic Fact of God’s Omniscience, personally applied—Psa 139:1 "O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
a. God’s unique knowledge—Only God Really knows us.
(1) You don’t fully know yourself.
(2) I don’t fully know myself.
(3) We can’t even trust our innermost thoughts—Jer 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
(4) But God knows—10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
b. God’s Personal knowledge—Let’s get personal right off the bat—God knows you (me too). There is nothing about us He does not know.
(1) He knows your thoughts
(2) He knows your sins
(3) He knows your desires
(4) He knows your innermost heart
(5) He knows your plans and agendas
(6) You cannot hide from Him—you have no right to privacy with God.
c. God’s Total Knowledge—When we say “God knows Everything,” we are talking about ourselves too.
(1) If you are playing church today, God knows it.
(2) If you are harboring hatred and resentment against brothers and sisters, God knows it.
(3) If you are involved in sins that no Christian should tolerate in their life, God knows it.
(4) If you are, right now, planning a sin, God knows it. You just are not going to fool God.
(5) If you are planning to rebel against Him, against the leadership of this church, against your spouse, against, your parents, God knows it!
(6) If you have some little conspiracy going on, at work, in the home, at the club, at church, God knows all about it.
(a) Num 32:23 "… be sure your sin will find you out."
(b) Psa 17:3 "You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; …”
(c) Jer 12:3 "But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You…”
(7) If you are a mature believer, you want God to search you in this way, you want His searchlight on your soul, you want His soul surgery to heal you of your sin.
(8) Psa 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
i (7) But if you are not a mature believer, or if you are not really saved at all, then you don’t want to be searched, you don’t want the scalpel of God’s spiritual surgery in your life, you don’t want God that close.
d. God’s Intimate Knowledge—GOD knows about everyone, but He KNOWS His people
2 Tim 2:19 "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.
John 10:3 “… he calleth his own sheep by name… 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine… 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
3. Some Details of God’s Omniscience—2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
a. YOU—(the word is “emphatic in Heb…” BKC)
b. The Most Mundane Activities are in His Sight—2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
(1) “I am observed when I quietly sit down, and marked when I resolutely rise up. My most common and casual acts, my most needful and necessary movements, are noted by thee…” (Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 259, Vol 3)
c. What is unknown and invisible is clear to God— You understand my thought afar off.
Mat 9:3-4 "And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"
Heb 4:13 "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."
(1) You cannot see the thoughts of another person.
(2) You really cannot see your own thoughts, though you can sometimes visualize pictures in your mind, you cannot see the thoughts.
(3) And you don’t know for sure what you are going to think next—if you knew, you would have already thought it!
(4) You may be about to think:
(a) An unclean thought
(b) A pleasant thought
(c) An alarming thought, like, “Where did that train come from?”
(d) A profound thought
(e) A stupid thought
(f) But whatever you are about to think, you don’t know it yet—as soon as you know it, you’ve already thought it.
(g) But God sees your thoughts “afar off.”
d. Whether we are awake or asleep, God knows—3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
“My path and my pallet, my running and my resting, are alike within the circle of thine observation. Thou dost surround me even as the air continually surrounds all creatures that live. I am shut up within the wall of thy being, I am encircled within the bounds of thy knowledge. Waking or sleeping, I am still observed of thee. I may leave thy path, but thou never leavest mine. I may sleep and forget thee, but thou does never slumber, nor fall into oblivion concerning thy creature.” (Spurgeon, Treasury)
(1) Comprehend—the original word can also be understood as “to winnow,” as one sifts and winnows wheat.
(2) “…He distinguishes actions; He discerns and separates the good from the bad, or the goodness of an action from the evil and imperfection of it, as in winnowing, the wheat is separated from the chaff….” (Gill’s Commentary)
(3) 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, Every step we take, every wink of shuteye we have, God is there, and He knows what is in our hearts. There is neither right of privacy nor way of privacy from Him.
e. God Knows us better than we know ourselves. And are acquainted with all my ways.
“God knows all the evil ways and works of His people; He takes notice of them, and chastises for them; and all their good works and approves and accepts of them; He knows from what principles of faith and love they spring, in what manner they are performed.” (Gill)
Rev 2:2 "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:"
Rev 2:19 "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first."
(1) First, God knows the motives and intents
(2) He knows if we are working from a law principle or a love principle.
(3) He knows what is easy, what is hard, what is pleasant, and what must merely be endured.
f. God knows the words we say. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
(1) HE knows our words before we say them. Isa 65:24 "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."
(2) Luke 19:31 "And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him." Luke 19:33 "And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?"
(3) And He knows the motivation for our words—Luke 11:15-17 "But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth."
4. The Blessed Effect of God’s Omniscience—5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
a. God’s Protection—The Holy Hedge—“…5 You have hedged me behind and before…”
(1) Behind—God “watches our back…”
(2) Before—But God watches our front as well, He takes the point position.
(3) God has us hedged up all around.
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land…”
b. God’s hand on your life—When?
(1) Jeremiah—Jer 1:5 ""Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.""
(2) Paul
Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel."
Gal 1:13-15 "For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace,"
(3) Lydia—God moved his apostles out of their way and ignored entire regions of the world in order to take the word to Lydia and God opened her heart.
5. The Mystery of God’s Omniscience—6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it."
Job 42:3 "You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."
Psa 40:5 "Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered."
Psa 131:1 "LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me."
a. In the original, the word “wonderful” is emphatic, it is an exclamation which starts the sentence: “WONDERFUL! This knowledge is…”
b. God wants us to know that He knows, or He would not have told us.
c. But God want us to know that we are not going to fully understand this, either.
d. If you react to this doctrine of scripture with emotional or mental distress, if this bothers you, join the club.
(1) It bothered David (the author of this psalm) at first!
(2) David could not comprehend it!
(3) It is like he is saying, “God, this makes my head hurt!”
(4) It’s like the college student that was in his first higher math class. Halfway through a particularly tough lecture, he raised his hand and asked the professor, “Sir, may I be excused, my brain is full.”)
(5) David says, “I can’t handle this, God, it is too far above me to comprehend this!”
e. This is beyond almost any other incomprehensible thing. God’s omniscience? I have no clue at all how—it is beyond me to understand how He knows everything—Like David, this is too marvelous for words.
f. However, there is at least one thing more incomprehensible.
(1) He knows me, and has always known me.
(2) He knows my sin, my weakness, my feet of clay
(3) He knows every wicked thought and intent I’ve ever had.
(4) He knew me before there was anything to know.
(5) But He loved me, chose me, died for me, called me, saved me, and is keeping me—I cannot understand that kind of God—but I can love Him and praise Him for it. Rom 5:6-9 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…”
Abraham's Faith Applied Today
Abraham’s Faith Applied Today
Romans 4:23-25
· We are now coming to the end of Paul’s illustration of faith through the father of the faithful, Abraham.
· We have been talking about salvation by grace through faith, and in looking at faith, Romans has told us in detail about the faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful.
· We learned about the vital doctrine of imputation, that our sins are paid for and the account is closed.
· We saw the blessed doctrine of eternal security, that once truly saved, the believer is in a different relationship with God, and will not be lost.
· We saw that Abraham was the father of all the faithful, and that as believers, we are children of Abraham, true Jews of the heart.
· And we saw the source of Abraham’s faith. Abraham was able to believe God for the truly amazing promises made because Abraham knew God. Abraham knew who God was, and Abraham knew what God was like.
· And we saw the results of the great faith that Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, had.
· Now the Holy Spirit finishes the fourth chapter of Romans with a tremendous little passage which brings the doctrines of Romans right up to the present.
· We find out how the faith of Abraham is applied today.
1. The Doctrine of Imputation is not for Historical Purposes Only-- Rom 4:23 "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed
a. Now it was not written for his sake alone —Often, we have the wrong approach to Biblical doctrine, or to Biblical history, the historical accounts we read in the Bible.
(1) the Bible is not a 2,000 year old dead book—it is a living book, with a living message that is as fresh today as it was when it was written.
(2) Even the Old Testament histories and biographies are current and useful. 1 Cor 10:1-6
(3) The Doctrines of the Bible, the way of life taught in the Bible, the absolute truths about how the whole universe works, these are current, these are “now,” these are for you, for now, for you to use in your daily life.
(4) So with Abraham—his great faith, his great knowledge of God and his great trust in God, and the doctrine of imputation, and the other related doctrines of salvation, these are not outmoded ideas of the past, but they are absolute, universal, and they apply today.
b. that it was imputed to him—the history of Abraham we see given here is all related to the vital doctrine of imputation— Imputation is the most important point of this chapter, and imputation is the heart of justification by Faith alone, and salvation by Grace alone
(1) We must understand that justification is a legal declaration by God of a permanent and irreversible change in the legal status of the sinner who places faith in Christ alone for salvation.
(2) We are not…
(a) We are not…On a gradual road to a way of salvation
(b) We are not… On a road which will eventually lead to salvation
(c) We are not on a journey “living in hope” of salvation
(3) If we have been justified by faith, our legal state is changed, it is changed absolutely, it is changed permanently, it is changed irrevocably, and it was not due to any works of ours whatsoever.
(4) Recall the doctrine of imputation again.
(a) We had a debt of sin we could not pay, recorded in heaven in an account book—Rev 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
(b) We were and in ourselves are, destitute, with not a penny to pay this debt, and what is more, there was not one good deed on the positive side of the ledger.
(c) But by the design of God, those who place all of their faith and trust in Christ and receive Him as Savior and Lord have their record wiped clean, and all their missing righteousness supplied.
c. 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed—
(1) It was written for us—
(2) The Old Testament passage in Gen 15:6 was written for New Testament people!
(3) To whom it shall be imputed—this message is sent, it is written, it is addressed, to those who believe in Christ and are justified by faith. It is a message to specific individuals, to God’s People, “those whom Thou has given me….” From John 17
(4) Shall be imputed—Imputation is not maybe, salvation is not “if…..” true believers shall receive imputation.
(a) There are no additional conditions
(b) There is no application process
(c) There is no second or third interview—if you truly place your faith in Christ, imputation, the clearing of your account, will take place.
2. The NO If’s [the KJV uses “if” here, but that is not in the original]— “…24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”
a. Only Believers are saved—Again, you don’t get Christianity by inheritance or by osmosis. You must put your faith in Christ to be saved.
Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
b. Only believers in the True God are saved… “…believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”
(1) There are a lot of religions in this world, and all of them are false except Biblical Christianity.
(2) The Bible teaches it, the Lord Himself said it in John 14:6
(3) There is only One True God, and only One True Mediator—The Lord Jesus!
(4) Only those who have salvation in Jesus are going to heaven! All of God’s promises, all of God’s goodness, all of God’s grace, is in Christ alone, and in no other place.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
c. Only those who accept and believe Who Jesus Is are saved. “…believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”
(1) Again, it is faith in Christ, not in anyone else.
(2) Some say, “it doesn’t matter what you believe, as along as you believe…” what hogwash! It makes ALL the difference what you believe, and In Whom you believe!
(3) He is Jesus our Lord, not anyone else but Jesus, not anything else but Lord.
(4) He is the Son of God, and God the Son, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the end, He is the One to whom every knee shall bow, and this is the One in Whom you must believe.
(a) Not the limp-wristed “Jesus” of liberalism
(b) Not the perverse “Jesus” of the Cults
(c) Not the “good old boy Jesus” of a lot of imaginations.
(d) But the Almighty, All-knowing, Sovereign, Holy, King Jesus of the Bible!
Ø Rev 1:11-19
Ø Rev 19:11-15
Ø Phil 2:9-11
3. The Work of Christ on the Cross—“…25 Who was delivered for our offence…”,
a. Who—Only One Savior, and that is Christ the Lord. It makes a very great difference in Whom you believe—you must believe in Christ!
b. Who was delivered—Christ was delivered, not taken
(1) God the Father planned it-- 1 Pet 1:18-20 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,"
(2) God the Son volunteered for the task. John 10: 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
(3) God the Son offered Himself, working together with the Spirit-- Heb 9:14 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
(4) He was delivered, not captured! No one had the ability to overcome Him, He is the Overcomer, but He volunteered, the Father delivered Him, Christ laid His life down!
c. Who was delivered for our – He was delivered for OUR offenses. He was a substitute! He did not die for a shapeless mass, He did not die to make salvation possible, He was delivered for us!
Isa 53: 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
d. Who was delivered for our offences—Make no mistake, it was our sins that placed Him there. We sinned and He died to pay for our sins.
(1) He was not delivered to show an example of love, though the Cross is the supreme example of Love.
(2) He was not delivered to be a martyr, though He is the Father of all the Martyrs.
(3) He was not delivered to set up some sort of automatic salvation machine
(4) He was delivered for our offenses. He was OUR substitute.
(5) Mat 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
4. The Resurrected Lord: “…and was raised again for our justification."
a. He was Raised.
b. He was raised for us
c. His resurrection is the token that His sacrifice was accepted, that the debt was paid.
Applications
1. The Old doctrine of imputation, the final, ultimate result of the faith of Abraham, applies today, it is alive today, it is real today, just as it ever was.
2. There is nothing you have ever done, nothing you can ever do, which will merit one iota in God’s accounting system. You cannot pay the bill, you cannot pay the taxes, you cannot leave the tip!
3. If you pass the “pulse test,” you are a sinner, and unless you have been to Calvary for salvation and put faith in Christ only for salvation, your debt stands unpaid—and the bill collector could come
Romans 4:23-25
· We are now coming to the end of Paul’s illustration of faith through the father of the faithful, Abraham.
· We have been talking about salvation by grace through faith, and in looking at faith, Romans has told us in detail about the faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful.
· We learned about the vital doctrine of imputation, that our sins are paid for and the account is closed.
· We saw the blessed doctrine of eternal security, that once truly saved, the believer is in a different relationship with God, and will not be lost.
· We saw that Abraham was the father of all the faithful, and that as believers, we are children of Abraham, true Jews of the heart.
· And we saw the source of Abraham’s faith. Abraham was able to believe God for the truly amazing promises made because Abraham knew God. Abraham knew who God was, and Abraham knew what God was like.
· And we saw the results of the great faith that Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, had.
· Now the Holy Spirit finishes the fourth chapter of Romans with a tremendous little passage which brings the doctrines of Romans right up to the present.
· We find out how the faith of Abraham is applied today.
1. The Doctrine of Imputation is not for Historical Purposes Only-- Rom 4:23 "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed
a. Now it was not written for his sake alone —Often, we have the wrong approach to Biblical doctrine, or to Biblical history, the historical accounts we read in the Bible.
(1) the Bible is not a 2,000 year old dead book—it is a living book, with a living message that is as fresh today as it was when it was written.
(2) Even the Old Testament histories and biographies are current and useful. 1 Cor 10:1-6
(3) The Doctrines of the Bible, the way of life taught in the Bible, the absolute truths about how the whole universe works, these are current, these are “now,” these are for you, for now, for you to use in your daily life.
(4) So with Abraham—his great faith, his great knowledge of God and his great trust in God, and the doctrine of imputation, and the other related doctrines of salvation, these are not outmoded ideas of the past, but they are absolute, universal, and they apply today.
b. that it was imputed to him—the history of Abraham we see given here is all related to the vital doctrine of imputation— Imputation is the most important point of this chapter, and imputation is the heart of justification by Faith alone, and salvation by Grace alone
(1) We must understand that justification is a legal declaration by God of a permanent and irreversible change in the legal status of the sinner who places faith in Christ alone for salvation.
(2) We are not…
(a) We are not…On a gradual road to a way of salvation
(b) We are not… On a road which will eventually lead to salvation
(c) We are not on a journey “living in hope” of salvation
(3) If we have been justified by faith, our legal state is changed, it is changed absolutely, it is changed permanently, it is changed irrevocably, and it was not due to any works of ours whatsoever.
(4) Recall the doctrine of imputation again.
(a) We had a debt of sin we could not pay, recorded in heaven in an account book—Rev 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
(b) We were and in ourselves are, destitute, with not a penny to pay this debt, and what is more, there was not one good deed on the positive side of the ledger.
(c) But by the design of God, those who place all of their faith and trust in Christ and receive Him as Savior and Lord have their record wiped clean, and all their missing righteousness supplied.
c. 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed—
(1) It was written for us—
(2) The Old Testament passage in Gen 15:6 was written for New Testament people!
(3) To whom it shall be imputed—this message is sent, it is written, it is addressed, to those who believe in Christ and are justified by faith. It is a message to specific individuals, to God’s People, “those whom Thou has given me….” From John 17
(4) Shall be imputed—Imputation is not maybe, salvation is not “if…..” true believers shall receive imputation.
(a) There are no additional conditions
(b) There is no application process
(c) There is no second or third interview—if you truly place your faith in Christ, imputation, the clearing of your account, will take place.
2. The NO If’s [the KJV uses “if” here, but that is not in the original]— “…24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”
a. Only Believers are saved—Again, you don’t get Christianity by inheritance or by osmosis. You must put your faith in Christ to be saved.
Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
b. Only believers in the True God are saved… “…believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”
(1) There are a lot of religions in this world, and all of them are false except Biblical Christianity.
(2) The Bible teaches it, the Lord Himself said it in John 14:6
(3) There is only One True God, and only One True Mediator—The Lord Jesus!
(4) Only those who have salvation in Jesus are going to heaven! All of God’s promises, all of God’s goodness, all of God’s grace, is in Christ alone, and in no other place.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
c. Only those who accept and believe Who Jesus Is are saved. “…believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”
(1) Again, it is faith in Christ, not in anyone else.
(2) Some say, “it doesn’t matter what you believe, as along as you believe…” what hogwash! It makes ALL the difference what you believe, and In Whom you believe!
(3) He is Jesus our Lord, not anyone else but Jesus, not anything else but Lord.
(4) He is the Son of God, and God the Son, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the end, He is the One to whom every knee shall bow, and this is the One in Whom you must believe.
(a) Not the limp-wristed “Jesus” of liberalism
(b) Not the perverse “Jesus” of the Cults
(c) Not the “good old boy Jesus” of a lot of imaginations.
(d) But the Almighty, All-knowing, Sovereign, Holy, King Jesus of the Bible!
Ø Rev 1:11-19
Ø Rev 19:11-15
Ø Phil 2:9-11
3. The Work of Christ on the Cross—“…25 Who was delivered for our offence…”,
a. Who—Only One Savior, and that is Christ the Lord. It makes a very great difference in Whom you believe—you must believe in Christ!
b. Who was delivered—Christ was delivered, not taken
(1) God the Father planned it-- 1 Pet 1:18-20 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,"
(2) God the Son volunteered for the task. John 10: 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
(3) God the Son offered Himself, working together with the Spirit-- Heb 9:14 "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
(4) He was delivered, not captured! No one had the ability to overcome Him, He is the Overcomer, but He volunteered, the Father delivered Him, Christ laid His life down!
c. Who was delivered for our – He was delivered for OUR offenses. He was a substitute! He did not die for a shapeless mass, He did not die to make salvation possible, He was delivered for us!
Isa 53: 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
d. Who was delivered for our offences—Make no mistake, it was our sins that placed Him there. We sinned and He died to pay for our sins.
(1) He was not delivered to show an example of love, though the Cross is the supreme example of Love.
(2) He was not delivered to be a martyr, though He is the Father of all the Martyrs.
(3) He was not delivered to set up some sort of automatic salvation machine
(4) He was delivered for our offenses. He was OUR substitute.
(5) Mat 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
4. The Resurrected Lord: “…and was raised again for our justification."
a. He was Raised.
b. He was raised for us
c. His resurrection is the token that His sacrifice was accepted, that the debt was paid.
Applications
1. The Old doctrine of imputation, the final, ultimate result of the faith of Abraham, applies today, it is alive today, it is real today, just as it ever was.
2. There is nothing you have ever done, nothing you can ever do, which will merit one iota in God’s accounting system. You cannot pay the bill, you cannot pay the taxes, you cannot leave the tip!
3. If you pass the “pulse test,” you are a sinner, and unless you have been to Calvary for salvation and put faith in Christ only for salvation, your debt stands unpaid—and the bill collector could come
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)